Rang by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan & Amjad Sabri (Coke Studio 9)

In all its melodramatic glory, and approximately 40 years ago, a shrine echoed with the sound of a traditional qawwali performed in an epic collaboration by the maestros, Ghulam Farid Sabri with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The divine kalaam of Amir Khusro – ‘Rang’ – soared through the skies. In what has been deemed as the most anticipated performance of Coke Studio’s Season 9, the two families return to the platform for the first time since, as Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Amjad Sabri collaborate to perform the very track, four decades later.

Recorded in the first and only take, as the song’s melodic heart unfolds Rahat’s vocals float over the top, forging ahead into well-known territories. With the rasp of Sabri’s rumbling vocals fuelled by a momentary key change, combining the sounds of the past and the present whilst igniting the sense of nostalgia most gracefully – carrying you off to somewhere else entirely. Embodying the classic traditional essence, the kalaam comes alive enriched by the raw, soulful inflections warming your heart and soul for many more decades.